Wilmington, DE – Governor Markell issued the following statement on findings and recommendations approved today by the Wilmington Public Safety Strategies Commission – a group established by House Joint Resolution No. 2, and supported by all members of the General Assembly, after the Governor called for a rapid, fact-based, intensive examination of public safety strategies for Wilmington in his State of the State address.
—
“I commend the hard work of all of the members of the commission, including co-chairs Joe Bryant and Lew Schiliro, as well as the teams from the Police Foundation and Vigilant Resources International. All involved have displayed an extraordinary commitment to developing solutions to the violence plaguing Wilmington. Importantly, the findings and actionable recommendations presented today involved a thorough examination of data and current public safety practices, as well as a significant emphasis on community engagement to ensure Wilmingtonians had a strong voice in this report.
“This product, developed in such a short timeframe, would not have been possible without the full cooperation and active participation of Chief Bobby Cummings. I applaud his efforts, which include work to implement some of the recommendations over the past two months.
“This report can serve as a roadmap to implement successful and sustainable practices that would improve public safety in Wilmington. While we should all acknowledge the long-term efforts required to address social factors that affect crime, the Commission’s recommendations are filled with practices that, in the short-term, have worked elsewhere to reduce violence and save lives. The report makes clear that the Wilmington Police Department has the personnel, and access to the resources and partnerships necessary, to reverse current trends, but we know this work is not easy. I’m pleased the commission members will continue to meet to help move these efforts forward and to be available as a resource for the City.”
###